Archive of Our Own ^beta

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galo was so special in lio's eyes. look at how he saved all of promepolis from kray, who valued nothing but himself. look at how he shared and gave his love so freely to the ex-burnish that society was positioned to hate. look at how he supported these people, built their new homes, formed new relationships, repaired their world. look at how inspirational he is today, standing up for so much, leading the broken city with his own hands.

yet he still shakes his head, laughs embarrassedly, tells lio, "oh, but i'm nothing special, really. nothing special at all. i'm just doing my job here!"

(no, you are so special, you really are so, so special to the ex-burnish here, to everyone here, to the whole world here. you've saved so many people, given them a life they were robbed from, sewn your heart onto your sleeve and still continue saving, saving, saving, even when you've already saved so many people. you've even saved me.)

that's what lio wants to say to him, tell him, to get it through to his thick, dumb skull! he's such an idiot, that galo.

(but you really are so special.)

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under the sun, he smiled.

his smile was brighter than the sun. his smile was brighter than any other thing anyone could think of. it shone over the world, it gave the world light, it inspired countless hopes within people, it reminded people that everything would be alright, the world is alright, everything will be alright. his toothy grin gleamed so proudly in the sunlight, but even a smirk from him evoked an incredible confidence, arrogance and power.

"you really are so special, you know that?"
"oh, no, i'm not really special. i'm nothing special. not really."

but he was so humble, so grateful, so simple. he's still embarrassed at being called special, great, wondrous, incredible, heroic, special. he still laughs every time.

"i think someone else deserves to be called special. but that someone is definitely not me!"

yet he saved an entire city, he saved so many people, he saved, he saved, he saved...

"are you just saying that because i look great under the sun or something?"
"yeah. but you really are special.”
"aw, come on! don't you have anything else to say about me?"
"yeah. you're dumb and stupid and dense. you're so dumb and stupid that you can't admit or recognise how special you really are."
“oh, for god’s sake, lio!”

they laughed - he really is that stupid.

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lio smiles, “you’re really special, you know that?”

galo’s predictable shy laughter rings again, “me? special? oh, no! no, no, no! i’m nothing special! i’m not special at all! really!” still, lio loves to hear it, over and over again.

so he turns to see galo’s face, awaiting that same bashful look he always wears when lio says something like this, but it’s not just that anymore. lio sees that thick angel wings have erupted from galo’s back. they are confident and reaching, but still curling to hold and protect another. the feathers are too delicate, soft like a fingertip’s touch, glowing like a kiss from the sun. they are giving, opening, holding.

a brilliant golden light shines behind galo’s head, proud and bold but still so warm. it casts galo in shadow and the whole world around him has darkened into night, but like light peeling through the blinds in the early morning, it carves each shape out with gentility, edge and glow. galo’s smile can still be seen under all this, but it beams with so much vibrancy, its personality ringing.

it is all as if galo was blessed by the sun itself. so angelic and utterly beautiful, but so holy that he cannot be touched. he is unreachable, in this divide of heaven and earth, divinity and mortality. he stands as a protector of the people, an angel figure to deflect sin itself.

“lio?”

lio blinks, and the image is gone.

it is midday - the skies have been painted a bright baby blue, and the clouds float among this canvas. the sun still shines, but it is high beyond anyone’s reach, small and visible far away. a wind breezes, and he smells the scent of red roses rich in the air. the grass below brushes by his ankles, tickling them with cheek.

yes - it is spring, and they are walking through the gardens of the park, enjoying the afternoon. but all lio could remember now was how brilliant galo looked just then, under the sudden bright light and the wings given to him from heaven.

lio shakes his head, smiling, “sorry. i saw something, and it reminded me of how special - so special - you really are.”